So you’re sold on the importance of preparation for a crowdfunding campaign, but you don’t actually know where to start. In a few months you will be launching a campaign on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Pozible, or another platform, and you’d like to start generating a buzz now!
Resources To Get You Started
ThunderClap.it
ThunderClap.it is a really cool new service that more and more creators have been using to build momentum for their products pre-launch. Essentially, if enough people support your “thunderclap,” then Thunderclap will blast out a timed Facebook Post or Tweet from all your supporters, creating a wave of attention.
With each thunderclap campaign, you have a certain number of days to generate enough support to reach your pre-set goal. As the campaign progresses, the website keeps track of the growing influence of your movement, or the social reach of your campaign. If you meet your goal in terms of # of supporters before the clock winds down, your timed message will be blasted out throughout your supporter base.
PitchFuse
PitchFuse is a recently launched website that allows creators to generate and gauge interest for a crowdfunding campaign before it’s actual launch. It kind of acts as a Launchrock for crowdfunding campaigns, which is another tool I have highlighted below.
Using the service, you can post your up and coming Kickstarter or Indiegogo project and receive comments, collect email addresses, analyze pageviews, and accumulate followers. Finally, you can also notify your followers when you do launch.
CF4ALL
CF4ALL is a new service that is still growing its user base. The driving force behind the website is a CrowdCredit. “CrowdCredits, the Social Currency of Crowdfunding, are a powerful way to tap the collective influence of the Crowd to gauge a Project’s popularity. The more CrowdCredits a Project receives, the higher they rank in CF4ALL search results. Projects that receive the most CrowdCredits — along with other measures of support — will be showcased on the CF4ALL home page under “Trending Projects.”
CrowdfundingPR
You can use CrowdfundingPr to create a free press release for your crowdfunding campaign. There are also paid enhancements to expand the reach of your press release. This is a great way to explain why you are raising money if you don’t have a blog or website, and is an easy-to-share link that you can send to bloggers, journalists, friends, and supporters. Disclaimer: I help run CrowdfundingPR.
LaunchRock
LaunchRock is a tool that you can use to create a pre-launch landing page for your campaign. You can use the landing page to collect email addresses of potential backers. If you don’t want to be a part of the Prefundia ecosystem, LaunchRock is a good alternative with customization options and visitor analytics.
WordPress
Although blogging can be difficult and time consuming, it can be a great way to share your experiences and connect with other creators. In addition, you can share your findings about raising money online on forums or contact bloggers like me to feature your content or include you as a guest poster, which could drive traffic back to your campaign when you launch.
Fast & Easy vs. Slow & Difficult
No matter how cliche the saying “Great things take time” is, it’s completely true. There is no silver bullet when trying to generate buzz before the launch of your crowdfunding campaign. Work hard to establish a relationship with influencers in your industry. Don’t expect people to find you. Take your project to them!
Be sure to let me know about other tools or techniques you used to generate interested pre-launch in the form of a comment below.
